Children and Dental Emergencies

Treating a child correctly in a dental emergency is extremely important in minimizing damage to the mouth, teeth and surrounding tissue.  Parents should have a basic understanding of dental first aid in case a situation does arises. In some cases, the time period between the emergency and treatment can be significant in the outcome of a dental emergency.

Below is a List of Dental Emergencies and what you should do:

Toothaches.  First, thoroughly rinse your mouth with warm water. Use dental floss to remove any lodged food. If your mouth is swollen, apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth or cheek. Never put aspirin or any other painkiller against the gums near the aching tooth because it may burn the gum tissue. See your dentist as soon as possible.

Chipped or Broken Teeth.  Save any pieces. Rinse the mouth using warm water; rinse any broken pieces. If there's bleeding, apply a piece of gauze to the area for about 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth, cheek, or lip near the broken/chipped tooth to keep any swelling down and relieve pain. See your dentist as soon as possible.

Abscess.  Abscesses are infections that occur around the root of a tooth or in the space between the teeth and gums. Abscesses are a serious condition that can damage tissue and surrounding teeth, with the infection possibly spreading to other parts of the body if left untreated.  Because of the serious oral health and general health problems that can result from an abscess, see your dentist as soon as possible if you discover a pimple-like swelling on your gum that usually is painful. In the meantime, to ease the pain and draw the pus toward the surface, try rinsing your mouth with a mild salt water solution (1/2 teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of water) several times a day.

Avulsed or Knocked-Out Tooth. Retrieve the tooth, hold it by the crown (the part that is usually exposed in the mouth), and rinse off the tooth root with water if it's dirty. Do not scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. If possible, try to put the tooth back in place. Make sure it's facing the right way. Never force it into the socket. If it's not possible to reinsert the tooth in the socket, put the tooth in a small container of milk (or cup of water that contains a pinch of table salt, if milk is not available) or a product containing cell growth medium, such as Save-a-Tooth. In all cases, see your dentist as quickly as possible. Knocked out teeth with the highest chances of being saved are those seen by the dentist and returned to their socket within 1 hour of being knocked out.

Extruded (partially dislodged) Tooth. See your dentist right away. Until you reach your dentist's office, to relieve pain, apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek in the affected area. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever (such as Tylenol or Motrin) if needed.

Despite the importance of the dental first aid, there is no course of action better than actually visiting the dentist. But it’s certainly beneficial when parents are aware of dental first aid.

For questions regarding dental emergencies or dental first aid, contact our office at: (602) 242-5445 or discuss your questions with Dr. Ferguson and/or team at your next dental appointment.

Dental Science Experiment for Kids - Does Fluoride Strengthen Teeth?

Items Needed:

• Two hard-boiled eggs 
• Fluoride gel or solution, 4 oz to 6 oz
• Three clean plastic containers
• Several cans of dark soda
• Water

Experiment:

1) Place a hard-boiled egg in one of the plastic containers and cover it with the fluoride gel or solution. Let the egg soak in the fluoride for twenty-four hours. Remove the egg and rinse it with water. 

2) Place this “treated” egg in one of the two remaining clean containers, and place the “untreated” egg in the other. 

3) Cover both eggs with dark soda. Change the solution every 12 hours for two days. 

What was your Conclusion?

Results of the Experiment:

The “untreated” egg will begin to dissolve slightly, and the shell will become stained by the dark soda. 

The “treated” egg should not show a reaction until much later. The conclusion could be drawn that the use of fluoride helps strengthen teeth and protect them from decay. 

The Consequences of Missing Teeth

There are several negative consequences of missing some or all of your teeth. First, missing teeth will affect the aesthetics of your face. Not only will your smile be affected by the gaps from missing teeth, but if you’re missing too many teeth, the skin around your mouth won’t be supported properly and will start to sag, making your appear older than you are. Additionally, missing teeth will make it more difficult to chew your food properly and may even affect the way you speak. Finally, missing even one tooth may have emotional consequences; many people feel less confident about their smile when they are missing teeth. If you are currently missing any of your teeth, consider replacing them with dental implants, which can look and feel just like natural teeth.  

If you have missing teeth and are unsatisfied with the look of your smile, contact Dr. Alan Ferguson's office at (602) 242-5445 to schedule an oral evaluation.

Should You Share Your Toothbrush with your Partner/Spouse?

Just because you kiss your partner/spouse, sleep with them or occasionally taste food off their fork, these are not reasonable justifications for using their toothbrush.

Brushing your teeth sometimes causes the gums to bleed, which exposes everyone you share your toothbrush with to blood stream diseases. Therefore, by sharing a toothbrush, the couples are actually sharing blood, which is a lot more risky than just sharing saliva. 

By using their toothbrush, you automatically introduce millions of their oral bacteria into your mouth and likewise leaving undesirable bacteria on the brush for them.  Dental decay is caused by bacteria called streptococcus mutans and is contagious.

Other diseases a person risks contracting when he or she shares a toothbrush with another are cold sores, herpes, fungus and periodontal disease.